Saturday, 10/25/2014 [Weather] and [Flight Articles] by [Tim Barker] & [Sundowner] plus [SD Photo Set] [Neal] and [Misc Post]

Tim Barker aka timobarker
Saturday, 10/25/2014

Skyport westbound to the Alternator (downwind) and out to Westbowl
then eastbound to Power Line Ridge (downwind)
then back Westbound to Castle Ridge (upwind)
and out to Padaro Beach (quartering upwind or cross wind?)

About 21.5 miles around 2 turn points (Alternator and Power Line Ridge) 3 + 13.5ish + 5

Article Copied from:  http://scpa.info/bb/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=3084#p9150
Posted by:  timobarker » Sun Oct 26, 2014 7:34 pm

What a surprise!

Not being able to pick my days by the weather is always a bit problematic.  Saturday was my day rain or shine.  After reading SDs forecast I was thinking it could be a fun day, but didn't look near as good as it was in reality.  I met up with SA, Howe, Cracka, Neil, and Heckman.  Cracka launched around 11:20, with a bit of flair!  He took off from the beautiful rock we like to watch from.  After that spectacle, he gave us another as he sunk low into the canyon.  He saved himself with a slow climb out.  Then 20 minutes later he gave us the cue that it was on by buzzing us.  SA and passenger launched and soared after him.

I chased cracka down to Alternator and out to West Bowl.  It was bouyant everywhere.  I left the top of RR with about 50 - 100 AGL and made it to the road just under EJ bowl.  I made one turn there for no success and continued toward La Cumbre.  It was sweet to ridge soar up the east side of La cumbre.  I haven't done that much as it's usually better on the south side.  I cracked 4200 feet and went to alternator.  I felt the East all the way to alternator.  Then transitioned out to WestBowl.  At west bowl I felt the wind change to the west.  So, I turned with it and bobbed my way back east.

The stronger climbs were consistently on the east faces all the way down the range.  I picked up Neil at Thermal Factory and he then led the way East.  I got stuck at Montecito for an excruciating long time.  I searched every side of that thing for a good thermal.  I finally found it way out front on the main spine.  I hit 4200 there and cruised the rest of the way to powerline ridge with little difficulty.  In fact, I didn't max out on a climb until the last bump before the powerlines.  There, I got 4900!  I've never been that high at the Powerlines.  I was sure, that with the tailwind, the pass and Ojai were easily makable.  Unfortunately, I was short on time for the day.  Neil and I had also noticed the wind filling in on the ocean.  So, we turned around and headed to Castle Ridge.  Once we made it there, we turned South to Padero.  That's where the real adventure began!

As we committed to an LZ we started to notice that the wind was more than just the regular westerly afternoon gusts.  This was a full throttle experience.  The white caps were huge.  Strangely, I didn't feel the effects of the wind until we were about 200 AGL.  I still had 4 or 5 mph into the wind without bar until about 100 AGL.  After that I was on full bar and crabbing into the wind with maybe 1 or 2 mph.  I stayed over the ocean until I was 10 feet agl.  Then I took off speed bar and crabbed/flew backward into the beach, yarding my A's for a full frontal when I was 3 feet above the ground.  I quickly turned around and grabbed full break with my Cs.  That did the trick.  What a gnarly experience.  I've never landed in such high winds before.

It was a great day.  When thinking about the whole experience, I think committing to Ojai might have been the safer landing option!

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